This site uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising.
By continuing to browse, you agree to the use of cookies described in our Cookies Policy.
You may change your settings at any time but this may impact on the functionality of the site.
To learn more see our Cookies Policy.

The Chamber of Deputies has passed a motion of confidence in the broad coalition led by new premier Enrico Letta.

ITALY IS SET to end two months of political uncertainty this evening when the country’s new Senate formally ratifies the appointment of a new government.

The administration – which will have Enrico Letta as its Prime Minister – is a coalition of the two largest parties, Letta’s Democratic Party and the People of Freedom movement led by Silvio Berlusconi, and also includes ministers from Mario Monti’s independent coalition.

The appointment will formally mean that Monti’s interim administration, which has remained in power despite being handed a heavy defeat in February’s election, can end.

Italian electoral law means the party (or electoral coalition) which tops the national poll for the Chamber of Deputies is guaranteed to be given a majority in that house – meaning that the Democratic Party, led into the election by Pier Luigi Bersani, had an automatic majority.

However, Bersani failed to secure a majority in the Senate, thanks to the strong regional performance of Berlusconi’s People of Freedom and the protest votes gathered by the Five Star Movement of the former comedian Beppe Grillo.

The logjam and ensuing negotiations saw Bersani step down, to be replaced by his former deputy leader Letta, who has forged a coalition with the People of Freedom – a broad marriage which leaves Grillo’s upstart movement as the main opposition body.

The independent coalition founded by Monti to fight February’s election, and which came a disappointing fourth behind Grillo’s protest movement, backed the motion of confidence in the Chamber of Deputies, giving it an easy win by 453 votes to 153.

Motions of confidence must precede

Letta has already technically been sworn in as premier, but the first duty of a new administration is to be supported in a vote of confidence by both houses of parliament, and would be expected to immediately resign if he was rejected.

The coalition has promised to end an unpopular property tax – following an election pledge by Berlusconi – and a cut to some income tax.

Mindful of the fact that he did not himself fight the election, and that his predecessor Monti had not been elected by the people, Letta has promised to examine his record after 18 months and call an election if he is not achieving success.

His cabinet features seven women, including the first Afro-Italian minister in the country’s history, and has an average age of 53 – significantly younger than previous administrations.

TheJournal.ie is a full participating member of the Press Council of Ireland and supports
the Office of the Press Ombudsman. This scheme in addition to defending the freedom of the
press, offers readers a quick, fair and free method of dealing with complaints that they may
have in relation to articles that appear on our pages. To contact the Office of the
Press Ombudsman Lo-Call 1890 208 080 or go to
www.pressombudsman.ie
or www.presscouncil.ie

Please note that TheJournal.ie uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising. For more information on cookies please refer to our cookies policy.

Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for user created content, posts, comments, submissions or preferences. Users are reminded that they are fully responsible for their own created content and their own posts, comments and submissions and fully and effectively warrant and indemnify Journal Media in relation to such content and their ability to make such content, posts, comments and submissions available. Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for the content of external websites.